Hey. Remember
what I said in my Goofy's
Hysterical History Tour article
about how there isn't that many
Goofy themed games? Well, I
kinda lied. There IS another
Goofy game besides Hysterical
History Tour. That game happens
to be Goof Troop for the Super
NES. However, in my defense,
History Tour focuses on Goofy,
the classic Disney character,
whereas Goof Troop is based on a
TV show that focuses on a
different kind of Goofy.
Confused? Let me elaborate on
that...

EvEver since he
was introduced, Goofy's main
appeal was that he could easily
portray any kind of character,
from genuinely cartoony to
highly satirical, and still keep
his lovely, winning personality.
His animated shorts star either
Goofy has his silly self, or as
an image of the common, every
day man meant to parody or
satirize a common element of
every day life (like vacation,
smoking or dancing).

In the 90s, when
the Disney Afternoon was a
bonafide hit with young
audiences, Disney introduced
into its lineup Goof Troop,
starring Goofy as a single
father to Max Goof as he dealt
with the issues of every day
life while still being, well,
Goofy. I find this TV show to be
a great mix of classic Goofy and
Goofy as the avatar for the
common man. This meant that his
stories could still be somewhat
rooted in the '90s mentality'
the show portrayed but still be
highly comedic in their
presentation. The success of the
TV show inspired a much beloved
film, A Goofy Movie.

The success of
the TV show also led to a video
game, which was developed by
none other than Capcom. I've
discussed to death the ties
Disney had with Capcom in the
past, so I won't go further with
that. What I will say is that
while the game didn't catch the
same fire as DuckTales and Chip
N' Dale Rescue Rangers on the
NES did, it certainly garnered a
cult following due to its
gameplay design that broke the
mold in terms of licensed games
rules.

Interestingly,
rather than going down the 2D
platforming route they took with
DuckTales and other Disney
titles, Capcom instead made the
Goof Troop game into an
adventure game. The story is
that both Goofy and Max have
gone to an island to rescue Pete
and his son PJ from dangerous
pirates. In order to do so, they
must work as a team in order to
solve the puzzles that lie
ahead. The word 'team' is what
defines Goof Troop. Goof Troop
is primarily known as one of the
most definitive two player
experiences on the Super NES.
That is to say that the game is
best when played with a friend.

There are many
reasons as to why that is the
case with the game. Level
designs and puzzles were created
with co-operative play in mind.
You won't be competing with
other players, instead you will
be working together to advance
in the game. Playing as either
Goofy or Max, you will be
helping the other player defeat
enemies or work to complete a
puzzle faster. Goofy and Max are
also unique characters with
distinctive skills. That means
that Goofy is the stronger of
the two, while Max is much
faster but lacks the strength
his old man has.

These mechanics
are far from gimmicky, though,
as they have been very polished
and create an experience that is
like no other. As an example,
when a character is defeated
during two player mode, the two
characters don't restart.
Instead, the remaining player
will complete the dungeon, and
the other player resurfaces in
the next dungeon. At times, the
game even resembles Nintendo's
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to
the Past with its focus on
dungeon exploration and puzzle
solving. It should be noted that
even though I have been focusing
on Goof Troop as being a two
player affair, it CAN be played
in single player mode.

It is common
knowledge by now that Capcom
took great stride in presenting
us digital Disney worlds in
great detail and good music to
boot. While Goof Troop isn't the
absolute best in terms of
presenting a Disney franchise in
video game form, it is a very
well polished one. Characters
look and feel like their TV show
counterparts and animate like
them too. Humorous details like
stars that appear when
characters are hit by a box make
the game feel like a Goofy
affair. Music is very bouncy and
catchy, appropriate for the
story and characters involved.

Clearly, what
truly stands out is the gameplay.
Capcom could have easily done
yet another platformer under the
Disney name and be done with it.
But much like how Goofy has
taken on different roles but
retained his original persona,
Goof Troop the game maintains
the polish and quality that
Capcom's Disney games have
presented throughout the years
but does so with an unique
gameplay concept. Scrooge McDuck,
Chip N' Dale, and Mickey may
have been sidescrolling stars,
but only Goofy can claim that he
has been on a puzzle solving
adventure with his son Max, and
had fun doing it.